


your heartbeat is the only sound I wanna hear

by reddies_spaghetti



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Bullying, Deaf Eddie, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Graphic Insults, Homophobic Language, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Rimming, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:09:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddies_spaghetti/pseuds/reddies_spaghetti
Summary: Richie meets a very interesting young man at his university's library and is determined to be able to talk to him.or deaf!eddie au





	1. part one

**Author's Note:**

> bold & italics = Richie  
> italics = Eddie 
> 
> enjoy! :D

“So what is the name of this book exactly?” Richie asked as he scanned the rows of books in the university library. His phone was pressed between his shoulder and his ear so he could run his fingers over the spines of the books, reading their titles.

“ _Astronomy 101, it should be one of the first books you see!”_ That would be Stan, his best friend and roommate. You see, before today, Richie had never even stepped foot in the library, preferring to get all of his materials online. Alas, Stan was sick and he needed this book, also Richie apparently owed him a favour, so here he was.

“Right, right. I’ll find it. Don’t worry Stan the man I will be back in a jiffy!” Richie whisper-yelled down the phone and hung up. He scanned the rows again, muttering to himself. “How hard could it be to find one simple book?” Eventually, after a good twenty minutes searching, Richie gave up and decided to ask for help.

As he wandered into the main area of the library, he could see the librarian was busy dealing with multiple other students, which meant he wouldn’t be able to ask her for help. Just as he was about to retire back to his dorm room completely, apology to Stan already thought out, his eyes spotted what Richie could only describe as the most beautiful human being on the planet.

The boy had soft brown hair, pale skin and from what he could see, dark coloured eyes, brown maybe? He was dressed in a light pink oversized sweater, with arms so long it covered his hands, light wash pants and white vans. His brow was furrowed as his eyes read over the words on the page of the book that his nose was buried in and Richie, Richie thought it was the cutest thing ever.

Right in that moment, Richie knew that he had to talk to the boy. Stan’s book forgotten, he wandered over to his table and cleared his throat, “Um hi?”  The boy didn’t even flinch, his eyes still scanning the page. Had Richie only imagined that he’d spoken the words out loud? No, no he definitely did. With a soft sigh, Richie tried again, “Uh, hi? I was wondering if you could help me out?”

Nothing.

Richie immediately started racking his brain to think if he had ever met this boy before. No, no Richie would have remembered someone so beautiful, no matter how drunk he was, so it couldn’t have been a one night stand. Maybe the boy had heard about him from a friend and didn’t want to talk to him? That thought made Richie’s stomach twist in a not so good way.

Just as he was beginning to think of reason number three of why the cute boy in the library wouldn’t look at him, the boy looked up…and almost fell off of his chair. Richie’s eyes widened at how startled he looked and watched with confused eyes as the boy pulled out a notebook, writing something onto the page, and slide it in his direction. Richie cast his eyes down, reading the words.

_Hi? Can I help you?_

Richie looked back up, his brow furrowed even more. Why was he writing words down? Why wasn’t he- _oh._ The answer hit Richie like a freight train. The reason the boy didn’t answer him was because he didn’t _hear_ him. This sudden revelation made Richie’s giddiness return and he pulled out the seat opposite him and slid into it, grabbing a pen to write back.

_**Sorry, I saw you from across the room and I just had to come and say hi. So…hi.** _

He pushed the notepad back and watched in awe as the boy read it over, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. The boy clicked his pen again, scribbling something else onto the paper and slid it back.

_Oh? I haven’t seen you around here before. I’m Eddie. You are?_

_**Richie is my name and talking is my game, Eds ;)** _

_Don’t call me that, and why do I have a feeling that I’m glad I can’t hear you?_

_**Aw don’t be like that! Don’t you like my nickname?** _

Richie watched as another blush formed on Eddie’s cheeks. Eddie. A perfect name for a perfect boy. He wondered if it was possible to fall in love so fast. He believed that he could.

_I’m not going to answer that._

_**Gosh, now you’ve hurt my feelings! :(** _

_So, Richie, out of all the people in this library, why did you come and talk to me?_

_**I told you, I saw your cute face from across the room and I just** _ **had** **_to talk to you!_ **

_I’m sure…_

_**It’s true! I was meant to be looking for a book but I abandoned that mission because I wanted to talk to you. Honestly.** _

Eddie’s brow furrowed as he read the words and looked back up at Richie, this time his expression was unreadable. He hovered his pen over the paper before he finally wrote something down.

_Which book?_

_**Oh, Astronomy 101. It’s for my roommate. He’s too sick to come get it by himself.** _

_Were you looking in the right section?_

_**I was looking under the “A's”** _

Richie was slightly taken aback as Eddie snorted, stifling his laughter with his hand. He wiped at his eyes before he scribbled down his reply onto the paper.

_Have you ever heard of the Dewey Decimal System?_

_**The what?** _

_It’s a system put in place in the library to help you find the book you’re looking for. Based on subject. You have to go to the astronomy section._

Richie read over the words and felt a little stupid. Usually he would just google the title of the book he wanted and download the PDF copy for him to read on his tablet. Electronically read material was the way forward, much less mess.

_**I’m uh, not familiar with that.** _

_This is your first time in the library isn’t it?_

_**How’d you guess?** _

Eddie didn’t respond this time, instead he stood up from the table and waved his hand to Richie, gesturing for him to follow. Richie stood up and walked a few steps behind Eddie, noticing that he was considerably shorter than Richie’s 6”4. He was probably around 5”4, a whole foot shorter than him. Richie smirked; he was just the cutest thing to ever grace the planet, and he never wanted this conversation to end.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t realised Eddie had stopped until he slammed into his back, ungracefully. He send him an look of apology and Eddie just brushed him off with a smile, bending down to look at the bottom row of books. Suddenly, he grinned and pulled a book from the shelf and passed it to Richie.

Astronomy 101.

Eddie pulled out the notepad again and scribbled something down before passing it over to Richie.

_There’s your book. It was nice meeting you._

Richie’s eyes widened. Eddie really didn’t think that Richie wanted to get to know him! Quickly he scribbled down his reply, and passed it back quickly. He threw Eddie a wink before disappearing from the row with his book. He was going to prove to Eddie that he was interested in him, no matter what it took.

Back up in the Astronomy section, Eddie read over the words with a wide eye’d expression.

_**I’m about to sweep you off your feet Eds. Just you wait and see.** _

_**Text me: 646-388-9522 ;)** _


	2. part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Richie: bold italics  
> Eddie: italics  
> Bill: bold
> 
> Also bonus points to anyone who catches The Fault In Our Stars reference!!! <3

Eddie slipped off his shoes and hung his jacket up in the hallway, of the dorm room he shared with his best friend Bill, and trudged into the living room where he found his roommate sitting with a bag of Cheetos in his lap. Bill looked up at him and gave him a smile, before signing:

**Have fun at the library?**

Eddie rolled his eyes and flipped him off, smiling as he watched Bill's mouth turn up into a smile as his shoulders shook with laughter. He moved over to the sofa and sat opposite his best friend, signing back.

_It was...different._

**Different?**

_Don't panic but...I met someone._

**You met someone?**

Bill's smile had grew and he was waving his hands around excitedly, bouncing in his seat. Ever since they had made the move to New York, totally against Eddie's mothers wishes mind you, Bill had made it his mission to get Eddie some action. To begin with, Eddie went along with Bill's idea's of blind dates, but after a while Eddie lost interest. The guy's were all put off with the fact that he couldn't hear. None of them knew sign language and they all got annoyed when Eddie brought out the notepad in order to communicate with them. Apparently, it took them out of the moment.

_Don't get too excited._

**Aw why not? Did he do something? Tell me who he is and I'll beat him up.**

_Easy tiger, he didn't do anything. Actually...he was really nice._

Eddie's problem with the whole Richie situation, was that he was terrified of getting his hopes up. Terrified of letting himself develop feelings for this boy, only for him to have his heart ripped out in the long run. Being deaf can make a guy self conscious like that.

He was born deaf. His mother had complications during her pregnancy, and as a result of those complications, Eddie was born without the ability to hear. All his life, his mother kept him sheltered from the world, scared that he'd get hurt because he couldn't hear simple things like oncoming traffic, and people walking up behind him. At school, the teachers all were trained in sign language and he had a special teacher who would come to the house every Tuesday and help him learn, but he struggled making friends as he couldn't communicate with them.

That is until one day, when he was sitting in the classroom where he spent his lunch breaks, Bill came rushing in grasping onto a book that was titled: _Sign Language for Beginners._ Turns out, Bill really wanted to be Eddie's friend, so he begged his parents to buy him the book so he could talk to him. His teacher allowed Bill to join in on his lessons and soon Bill was just as fluent in sign language than Eddie and his mother was.

Eddie knew that Bill meant well, that all he wanted was to see his best friend happy. As he looked back up, he saw the concerned look on Bill's face as he signed.

**Then why are you so worried?**

_Because he was nice! Guy's aren't usually so patient. He even wrote in my notebook. See!_

Eddie pulled the little notebook out of his satchel and passed it to Bill, watching as he skimmed over the pages, his face lighting up with a smile.

**Richie huh? He gave you his number! Have you messaged him yet?**

Eddie snatched the book back and held it close to his chest, protectively. He shook his head and glanced down at the digits that were staring back at him along with Richie's final statement. He was going to sweep him off his feet, and that thought made Eddie's stomach swoop. Sweep him off his feet. Quickly, he signed an answer back to Bill;

_No, no I haven't I'm scared._

**Don't be, going by that conversation, sounds like Richie is really into you! Which is more than I can say for the other guys.**

_So I just...text him?_

_**Yes!** _

Watching Bill's excited expression, Eddie pulled out his phone and typed Richie's number into it, ignoring the way his heart hammered against his chest. He stared at the open text box, fingers hovering over the letters before he finally typed out a message. Something simple.

_[7:06] Hi Richie, it's Eddie._

That was simple enough right? That way, Richie had his number and if he was going to reply then he would. Before Eddie could work himself up over the possibility that Richie might _not_ reply, his phone buzzed in his lap. His eyes shot down to see that Richie had indeed, replied to his message and his stomach flipped again.

_**[7:07] Well hello there, gorgeous. I was wondering when I would hear from you.** _

_[7:07] I just got home. Did your roommate appreciate that you found his book?_

_**[7:08] He did! Enough about Stan the Man though. Tell me about you Eddie Spaghetti.** _

_[7:09] Don't ever call me that. Ever.  
_ _[7:09] Not much to tell, really. I'm pretty boring._

_**[7:10] Impossible. Come on Eds, tell me about yourself. I want to know everything.** _

_[7:10] Well, I was born deaf. My mother had some complications when she was pregnant with me and as a result, I can't hear. Never have and I never will._

_**[7:12] Eds, tell me about** _ **you.**

_[7:12] Uh, Richie, I just did?_

_**[7:13] No, you told me the story about your disability. I want to know about** _ **you** **_. What's your hobbies? What do you do for fun?_ **

Eddie stared at his phone in shock. Richie actually wanted to get to know Eddie as a real person and not just about why he was deaf? On all of the dates, not just most, _all_ of the guys asked about his lack of hearing. It was the first question that they asked him. _Why are you deaf?_ So whenever someone asks for his story, it's his automatic response.

_**[7:20] Eds?** _

Eddie jumped as his phone buzzed again and he realised that he hadn't responded to Richie's message. Quickly, he began typing out a reply, deciding to go all out and be brutally honest with him.

_[7:23] Sorry, sorry. You want me to be completely honest? I love music. I know it's stupid, I can't hear it, but I like to lay on my bed with my hand on the speakers of my stereo and just...feel the vibrations of the music. I like to think about what it would sound like if I could hear, you know?_

_**[7:24] I play guitar. I'll play for you sometime.** _

_[7:25] Promise?_

_**[7:25] Oh I promise.** _

Eddie spent the next hour texting Richie back and forth, sharing stories of their families, friends, hobbies and everything in between. Eddie could say that he had never smiled so much in his life. Richie was like a breath of fresh air, and Eddie already could see his statement of sweeping him off his feet becoming a reality. It was just after nine that Richie apologised, a text following explaining that he was being dragged out to a club with his roommate who was miraculously feeling better, and his best friend,

Eddie was sad to see him leave, but he knew that Richie had his own life, his own friends. His sad feeling didn't last long though, as Bill was tugging on his arm, and signing quickly.

_**Get ready, we're going out!** _

_Out? Where?_

_**Some club that just opened, come on! Put on those denim overalls and your white vans and lets go!** _

_Okay, okay! Give me five minutes._

Eddie rolled his eyes, but got up off the sofa and disappeared into his room, changing into the outfit that Bill suggested to him. He didn't usually go out, but Bill looked so excited that Eddie didn't want to refuse.

And he was glad he didn't.

Because when they got to the club, their hands firmly stamped by the bouncer, Eddie's eyes latched onto a familiar face at the bar.

_Richie._


	3. part three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Richie: bold italics  
> Eddie: italics  
> (the conversations in italics are Eddie and Bill lip reading)

Eddie's eyes settled on Richie's form, leaning against the bar, chatting aimlessly to a girl with bright red hair. He hadn't spotted Eddie yet, and that gave him the perfect opportunity to dive behind the coat rack, taking Bill by surprise. His friend followed behind him, a frown etched on his face and he mouthed, “ _What's going on?_ ”

Eddie could lip-read, it had been something his sign language teacher had taught him when he was very young, as most people don't know and would never learn sign language. Eddie had come to terms years ago that not everyone would be as eager as Bill was to talk to him. He pointed to the bar and mouthed back, “ _That's Richie._ ”

Eddie never used his voice often, only in very rare occasions would he actually speak. It felt weird to not be able to hear his own voice, therefore he avoided it as much as he could. Whenever he _did_ talk, he would always earn stares from people passing by, which meant that his voice sounded funny to them and that made Eddie avoid using his voice even more.

Bill turned his head around to the bar, and Eddie knew the moment that he figured out which one was Richie. His eyes lit up and his face broke into a large smile as he turned back to him and grabbed his wrist, “ _Let's go say hello then!”_ Before Eddie could say anything, he was puling him along towards the bar, towards Richie.

“Stanley!” Bill called out, his hands moving to sign his conversation at the same time, so Eddie could understand. They came to a stop in front of them and Eddie could feel Richie's eyes on him almost immediately.

Swallowing, Eddie looked up, meeting Richie's eyes instantly, his face stretched out in a large award winning smile. It made Eddie's cheeks burn and he was extremely grateful for the low lighting in the club, so low that Richie couldn't see how hard he was making him blush. He reached into his back pocket to retrieve his little notebook that he carried with him everywhere and pulled the cap off with his teeth before scribbling onto a blank page and handing it over to Richie. He ignored the way Bill and Stanley were staring at him, focusing on Richie and only Richie.

_Hi. Fancy meeting you here._

Eddie watched as Richie read over the words, his shoulders shaking with laughter as his smile widened. He lifted the pen to the paper and scribbled his answer.

_**Likewise. Though I'm not going to complain about getting to spend more time with you.** _

If they weren't in the dark club, Eddie knew his face would be shining scarlet and Richie would definitely be smirking at him. Just as he moved the pen to the paper to write his reply, Bill snatched it out of his hand, gaining his attention. Eddie turned to face him with a frown, only to find his best friend smirking, arms crossed as he turned to Richie, “So yo-you're the g-guy making m-my best f-friend m-make heart e-eyes at his p-phone?”

Ever since Bill was a child, he had a stutter and he had never quite been able to shake it. Therefore, when he spoke out loud with Eddie present, he always signed along with his words, so Eddie could understand. He knew that his best friend could somewhat understand his lip reading, but he also knew that it could be difficult, as his pronunciation wasn't always the best.

Eddie watched as Richie ran a hand over the back of his neck, a bashful smile making it's way onto his lips, his shoulders relaxing in an exhale. He glanced at Eddie, as though he was worried he wouldn't be able to understand him if he replied, before his lips started moving, “Yeah, yes I'm Richie.”

“E-Eddie can l-lip read, so y-you don't have to w-worry about him not b-being able to u-understand you. Just r-remember to s-speak s-slowly,” Bill explained, all the while his hands replayed the words to Eddie in sign language. “I-I just sign m-my words b-because I have a s-stutter.”

Before Richie could answer, Eddie cut in, moving his hands as he signed, “I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back.” He gave Richie a small smile before he vanished in the direction of the toilets.

Once Eddie was out of view, Richie turned to Bill, “Will you teach me? How to sign?” He asked, his voice desperate. He wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to Eddie, really _talk_ to him. The look he received from Bill was not one that he expected.

“You're S-Stan's roommate r-right? I h-have heard a-about you,” Bill spoke before he smiled. “E-Eddie is special. H-He's not had the b-best past w-with relationships-”

“I'm not going to hurt him, if that's what you're saying. I'm not. I really like him,” Richie interrupted Bill. “I get that you're being the whole protective best friend but trust me. I'm not going to hurt him. I'm not.” He had never been so serious about something in his life. His past relationships hadn't given him as much meaning as two meetings with Eddie had. Bill was right, this boy was special, and Richie wanted nothing more than to be a part of his life.

Bill was silent, and Richie could feel Stan's gaze on his face as he watched the conversation. Eventually, Bill smiled and uncrossed his “W-what do you w-want to s-say?”

Richie exhaled and he grinned, “I want to be able to tell him how cute he is, how amazing he is. I want to be able to ask him on a date.”

“You sound a little desperate there Richard, never seen you so...smitten.” Stan's voice broke through and Bill chuckled. Richie felt his cheeks flame up again and he shoved Stan to the side.

“Shut the fuck up, Stanley.” Richie turned his attention back to Bill, “Will you? Please?”

Bill nodded his head, “Y-yes, of c-course. Eddie l-likes you and w-well you're t-the first g-guy to show r-real interest i-in learning s-sign language.”

Richie felt a flare of anger fill his gut, who wouldn't want to get to know someone as amazing as Eddie? Who wouldn't want to learn his sign language in order to talk to him? “Teach me, please?”

Bill nodded and took Richie's hand, “So, the sign for cute is this. You t-take your middle a-and f-forefinger up to your c-chin,” he put the fingers in place on Richie's chin, “and you f-flick them off. L-Like this.” Bill brought his fingers up and performed the sign for Richie, watching as he copied him. “Perfect.”

“What about 'will you go out with me?”” Richie asked, eyeing up the hallway where the bathroom was. Eddie could return any minute and he wanted to be able to surprise him.

Bill laughed before following through with the sign for asking someone out, “There a-are different w-ways to ask s-someone out but this i-is the simplest,” he explained. He watched Richie repeat the sign over and over, adding in the sign for 'cute' until Bill gave him the thumbs up.

Just then, Eddie walked back from the bathroom, a smile on his face as he looked between Bill and Richie. He could sense that they had been talking about something, but Eddie couldn't quite figure out what it was. As he opened his mouth to speak, Richie stopped him by picking his notepad out of his hand and scribbling a sentence.

_**It's a little stuffy in here, want to get some fresh air?** _

Eddie's eyes widened as he looked over the words and then back up to Richie's hopeful face. He looked at Bill, who was no longer paying attention to them, but immersed in a conversation with Stan. He looked over the words once more and he smiled, nodding his head.

Richie grinned and moved his hand to the small of Eddie's back, leading him away from the boys and towards the door. Neither of them had removed their coats, so they just slipped past the bouncers and out into the night air. The club was a few minutes away from a park, so Richie reached down to take Eddie's hand in his, leading him across the road and to a bench.

Eddie bit down on his bottom lip hard, the feeling of Richie's hand on his back, of Richie's hand in his own, sending shivers down his spine. He took a seat on the bench next to Richie and he pulled the notebook back out, writing out his words.

_Is everything alright?_

Richie took the notebook in his hands, writing his response with a smile on his lips.

_**More than alright Eds, I'm here with you aren't I?** _

_You're very charming, aren't you?_

_**I told you I'd sweep you off your feet. Is it working?** _

_...maybe._

_**It's a start! Look, I have something I want to ask you.** _

_Oh? Well, go on._

Richie didn't write his response in the notebook like Eddie thought he would, and Richie revelled in the reaction that appeared on the face of the smaller boy. Instead, he stood up, pulling Eddie with him and he inhaled a deep breath, raising his hands. Remembering what Bill had taught him in the club, he spoke his words clearly, using his hands to sign what he knew. “Eddie, I think you are so cute,” he followed through with the sign, knowing he had gotten it right when Eddie blushed and ducked his head. “Incredibly cute. Would you do me the honour and go on a date with me? Please?” His hands moved, signing the question as he spoke, looking down at Eddie with a hopeful expression.

Eddie couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Richie had just asked him out, and used sign language to do it. He knew that Bill must have taught him the question, and the compliment, which was what they must have been discussing when Eddie was at the bathroom. His heart was hammering so hard against his chest and he met Richie's eyes, taking him his hopeful look. A smile easily made it's way onto his lips and he nodded his head and for the first time in months, Eddie used his voice to answer back.

“Yes.”


	4. part four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special thanks to @richietoaster for providing me with some amazing ideas in this!!! Also it's going to have at least two more parts. 
> 
> Once again. 
> 
> Eddie = italics  
> Richie = bold italics. 
> 
> Also, as you can see the rating has been bumped up to E, which means this chapter will contain NSFW! Enjoy!!!

Eddie sighed dreamily as he dumped his bag on the floor of his bedroom and lay back on his bed, a huge smile plastered onto his face. It was just after midnight, and Eddie had been out with Richie since midday. Friday nights were their ‘date’ night as Eddie had an early class that finished at midday, which meant Richie would stop at Eddie’s lecture and wait for him to emerge before taking him on some breathtaking date he had planned.

This week, it was rollerblading at the rink that wasn’t far from Eddie’s dorm. Richie had been appalled that Eddie had never once been rollerblading and took it upon himself to show him exactly what he’d been missing. Which was a lot. Eddie was sure he had never laughed as much as had done that evening.

Eddie had been using his voice a lot more often, ever since Richie had informed him on one of their dates that he loved the way it rang in his ears. Richie had also been taking classes in sign language and was improving everyday, which made Eddie’s being fill with warmth and his smile to grow even bigger than before. Richie was...someone that Eddie didn’t know he needed in his life, but knew that now he had him, he would never be able to live without him.

All his life, his mother had sheltered him from simple activities that children would take part in, like rollerblading, going to the movies, visiting theme parks, all because she was convinced that Eddie would be hurt. Eddie had missed so much and in the past three months of being with Richie he had almost crossed off everything he had on his bucket list.

Leaning over his bed, Eddie reached into his bag to pull out his notepad, the notepad that contained most of his conversations with Richie. As much as they were both using sign language, and their voices, Eddie liked having some of their moments recorded on paper. That way, he could look through them when he was alone, reliving the moments over and over again. Carefully, he flipped the book open and his eyes immediately began scanning the words on the page.

_**What’s your favourite colour?** _

_Blue, or light pink. It depends. What’s yours?_

_**Orange. It’s bold. In your face. Kind of like me I guess.** _

_That’s not a bad thing, you know._

_**Aw Eds, you’re making me blush over here!  
** _ _**Anyway, it’s your turn.** _

_Oh, right. Um, favourite movie? Mine’s is the Lion King. When I was little, before my dad died, he used to put the DVD on and sign some of the words, the ones I could understand anyway. I just use subtitles now, but I couldn’t read back then._  

**Disney huh? I’ll keep that in mind. Your dad sounds like he was a pretty awesome guy.**  
_**My favourite movie is The Breakfast Club. I don’t have any other reason why other than “Don’t you forget about me” is just, phenomenal.** _

_Good movie. Nice choice.  
_ _Your turn._

_**Guilty pleasure?** _

_Even though I can’t hear them. I have to say One Direction._

_**I knew it! I knew you were the One Direction kind of guy!** _

_Beep beep Richie, this never leaves this notebook, understood?_

_**Deal, if it’s any consolation, my guilty pleasure is either ABBA, or Rocky Horror.** _

With a grin, followed by a yawn, Eddie closed over the book and held it to his chest tightly as thought someone would come into his room and steal it away. This notebook was the most precious thing in his possession, and he was never giving it up, ever.

* * *

 

As Eddie got dressed, checking his appearance in the mirror for the third time, he could feel Bill’s eyes boring into his back. He turned around, a single eyebrow raised and he signed, “ _What? What are you staring at me for?”_

“ **Oh nothing, just that you’ve checked your appearance in the mirror three times now. You’re stunning. Stop worrying so much.”** Bill signed back, shaking his head with a laugh.

“ _I can’t help it Bill. It’s our three month anniversary, I’m nervous.”_ Eddie walked over to where Bill was sitting and perched himself on the edge of the chair, pouting. “ _I really like him.”_

“ **Oh I know. Everyone knows. He brings out the very best in you Eddie. Now please stop worrying?** ” Bill sat his book he was reading on the side table and pulled Eddie into a hug. “ **Also, remember and use protection”** He added with a wink, earning a well deserved smack from Eddie in return.

Eddie flipped Bill off before he grabbed his overnight bag from the floor and left the apartment, making the short walk to Richie’s in less that fifteen minutes. The sight that greeted him when Richie pulled the door open was breathtaking. Richie had set up a picnic in the middle of the living room, with all of Eddie’s favourite foods. Candles littered the room, and a subtitled version of _The Lion King_ played on the TV in the background. As Eddie looked back up he met Richie’s eyes, bashful and nervous as he signed, “ _ **Happy anniversary, do you like it?**_ ”

Eddie nodded his head quickly, wrapping his arms around Richie’s neck in a hug, pushing himself up on his tip toes. He smiled as he felt Richie’s arms weave around his waist, pulling him close as he tugged him inside the apartment and closed the door. When Eddie pulled back, he signed his response, “ _I love it.”_

They spend the evening sitting on the blanket, feeding each other the finger food and simply enjoying each others company. Once the food was finished, and the movie was over, Richie cleaned up the empty containers and turned the TV off. He moved to sit back down next to Eddie and they stared at each other for a moment, before Richie moved forward, cupping Eddie’s cheek as he brought their lips together. The kiss was slow and gentle at first, until Richie slowly moved to run his tongue over Eddie’s bottom lip, asking for entrance.

Suddenly, as he felt Richie’s tongue brush over his bottom lip, Eddie thought back to Bill’s words from earlier that night: _use protection._ He broke their kiss, only briefly,lips swollen and his chest moving rapidly. He leaned his forehead against Richie’s for a moment before he pulled away, mouthing, “ _Bathroom. I’ll be quick.”_ He scrambled up off of the floor, off of the picnic blanket and rushed to the bathroom.

He’d been dating Richie for exactly three months now, and it had been the best, most surreal three months of his young life. Yet, they hadn’t _done_ anything. Nothing. Not even a messy handjob. Richie, regardless of his trashmouth, was being quite the gentleman with Eddie, refusing to rush into anything he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with.

Even though Eddie was more than comfortable. He was ready to take the next step with Richie, but he wasn’t sure how to bring it up with him. Staring at himself in the mirror, as though giving himself a pep talk, Eddie began signing possible way to bring the topic up to Richie.

_Oh hey Richie, we’ve been together three months now and I wanna have sex._

_Hey Richie, wanna do it with me? I’m totally ready!_

_Richie, fuck me?_

Not a single one of those sentences sat well with him. They were either too crude, or just didn’t sound right. Then, just at that moment, Eddie let out what he assumed was a screech as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Immediately, Eddie’s nostrils were filled with the familiar scent of Richie’s cologne and he exhaled, relaxing back into the warm embrace. Richie buried his head in the crook of Eddie’s neck, mouth pressing soft kisses to his sensitive skin. Eddie felt his breathing hitch as Richie pulled away, meeting his eyes in the mirror. Slowly, a smirk spread out on Richie’s face and his hands move into Eddie’s line of sight to sign:

“ _ **Well, Eds, if you wanted to have sex all you had to do was ask!”**_

Eddie’s face flushed bright red at the comment as he realised that Richie had witnessed his pathetic attempts to give himself a pep talk. Richie was still grinning at him, wide but sincere, as he pressed a kiss to Eddie’s cheek and worked his way down to his jaw and back up to his lips.

This time Eddie didn’t pull away when he felt Richie’s tongue run along his bottom lip, this time he welcomed it, lips parting as their kiss deepened, causing Eddie’s toes to curl up in his socks. A gasp left his mouth, still moulded with Richie’s, as he felt his boyfriend reach down to pick him up by his thighs, coaxing him to wrap his legs around his waist. Once Eddie was comfortable in the position, Richie carried him back through into the living room, laying him down on the blanket that was still surrounded by candles.

The perfect romantic setting.

Eddie opened his eyes, staring up at Richie, who was looking down at him with deep, dark eyes. Slowly, Richie moved his hand up to Eddie’s cheek, running his fingers down, over the soft skin and he leaned down, capturing his mouth in another sweet, yet deep kiss. Eddie’s whole body was reacting to Richie’s actions, aching for more, for anything. As Richie pulled away this time, his eyes were shining with seriousness.

“Are you sure?” He spoke his words clear so Eddie could make them out. Moments like this, the intimate moments, Eddie insisted at Richie spoke out loud and assured him he would read his lips. Eddie nodded his head, slowly but firmly and he moved his hand up, weaving it into Richie’s hair and pulling him back down into another kiss.

When he pulled away, Eddie opened his mouth and spoke back, “I’m sure.”

Richie’s eyes changed from serious and concerned, to pure lust and want. He took Eddie’s face in his hands and spoke clearly, so Eddie could understand every word that left his lips, “I adore you...you are my entire world...let me show you….how much you mean to me.”

Eddie felt his stomach swirl, holding back tears that had gathered in his eyes as he nodded his head. Richie didn’t wait for a response, he just leaned down and kissed his breathless, fingers carefully moving to pull up Eddie’s sweater, tugging it over his head. He removed his own shirt next, wanting them both to be equals all the way, and he tossed it next to Eddie’s before he shrugged himself out of his pants.

Eddie’s heart was hammering in his chest as Richie undressed them both with such care, he had no idea how he got so lucky as to end up with someone like Richie, but he was so glad he got to have him. He kept his eyes trained on Richie the whole time, breathing escaping his lips in heavy pants. He watched as Richie’s fingers dipped into the waistband of his underwear and looked up at him, their eyes meeting for a brief moment and Eddie nodded his head.

Richie didn’t hesitate as he pulled Eddie’s underwear down over his ass and down his legs. Eddie kicked them off when they pooled at his feet and let out a sharp gasp as Richie’s hands moved to his thighs, pushing his legs apart just slightly. Richie looked up at him, soft smile on his lips as he spoke, “You are...so beautiful.”

Eddie barely had time to respond, as Richie leaned his head down, taking Eddie’s hard member into his mouth, all the way to the hilt. Eddie felt his throat vibrate at the feeling of hot wet heat that surrounded him, making his toes curl and his back arch. He felt Richie freeze up for a moment, before he continued moving his head, his tongue swirling around his shaft and lips sucking on his tip when he pulled back.

With each vibration that left his throat, Eddie felt Richie tense up, only to then move his mouth and head faster than he was going before. Every nerve in Eddie’s body was perked upright, the overwhelming feeling of pleasure taking over his every thought.

At some point, Eddie’s hands had moved into Richie’s curls, tugging as his eyes fell shut, lips parted. Suddenly, after another vibration, Richie pulled away and Eddie’s eyes ripped open, meeting Richie’s instantly. His chest was heavily, his own lips swollen red and Eddie swore, that if he looked at Richie long enough, he could have came just from that.

Then, Richie was speaking, slow and clearly so Eddie could understand, “Eds...I wish you could hear...just how pretty...you sound right now.” Eddie’s face flushed as the words sunk in and he moved to tilt his head away, only to feel Richie’s hand on his cheek, making their eyes meet once more. “I mean it...baby....you sound so pretty….so good baby.”

Eddie’s back was arching up at the appraisal, his whole being aching for it, revelling in it. Using his voice, he spoke out, “Please?” Richie’s eyes visibly darkened and he moved his face close.

“Come whenever you want baby.” With those words spoken, Richie’s mouth was back on him, faster and hotter than before, and it didn’t take long for Eddie’s orgasm to rip through him, his fingers tightening in Richie’s hair, tugging hard as he moaned.

Richie pushed his hips into the blanket, the feeling of Eddie coming in his mouth, pushing him over the edge as he came into his underwear with a groan, sending vibrations through Eddie’s body, causing him to shudder with the after-shock. Slowly, Richie pulled his mouth off, licking his lips as he leaned up, pulling Eddie into another deep kiss, tongue pushing past his lips.

Eddie could taste himself on Richie’s mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to be disgusted or put off by that. In fact, Eddie had never felt more content. As they pulled away, he watched Richie discard his underwear before he moved to lay back on the blanket, pulling Eddie close so his head was on his chest.

As they lay there, Eddie’s fingers moved over the skin of Richie’s chest, and he could feel the _thump, thump, thump_ of his heartbeat. Suddenly, Eddie felt sad. Sure he could _feel_ Richie’s heartbeat, but in that moment, all he wanted to do was _hear_ it. As though sensing that something was wrong, Richie tilted Eddies head up to their eyes met, “Are you okay?” He asked and Eddie nodded his head.

Once again, speaking out loud in the comfort of Richie’s arms, he whispered, “Your heartbeat. It’s the only sound I ever want to hear.”

 

 

 


	5. part five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay so as you know, according to my post, I’ve decided to re-write some of this. So most of chapter five is the same, up until the ending and then it’s gonna be different. So I hope you guys like this version just as much as the other one! I know I do! <3 
> 
> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES TRIGGERS FOR BULLYING AND INCLUDES INSULTING WORDS SO BEWARE. Also nsfw too!
> 
> Richie: bold italics  
> Eddie: italics

Eddie was sure that absolutely nothing could ruin his mood. It was a Friday, which meant date night with Richie, and he had just finished up his final class of the year. Today marked the first day of summer vacation and Eddie couldn’t _wait._ Already, so many plans were running through his mind, what he was going to do, what he was going to see, and Richie was present in every single one of them.

They were going to go to amusement parks, the beach, drive in movies, days out in Central Park, the list goes on. This was the first summer he wasn’t going back to Maine to visit his mother, but he had a good excuse, he had a boyfriend! His mother wasn’t happy to begin with, insisting that he come home so she could take care of him for the three months he wouldn’t be at school, but Eddie insisted that he could take care of himself just fine.

The only reason she couldn’t drag him back by his hair was because she wasn’t paying for his education. He had gotten into NYU on a full ride scholarship because of his high grades at school, and therefore had nothing tying him back to home.

Eddie was so lost in his thoughts, that he was taken by surprise when someone gripped onto his bag, pulling him back and sending him to the ground. His eyes widened as he looked up to see the form of Henry Bowers, a 23 year old who helped in the sports department of the university. Also the person that scared Eddie the most. Ever since the bully had caught wind that Eddie was deaf, he’d made it his personal mission to make Eddie’s life a living hell.

Henry started talking, his nose turned up in a sneer, but Eddie didn’t have to read his lips to know exactly what he was saying.

_Retard_

_Dumb_

_Freak_

_Gimp_

He could make them out briefly during Henry’s rants, he was used to it, it happened almost on a weekly basis. What Eddie didn’t expect though was for Henry to take a grip of his shirt and pull him off the floor so his face was right in front of his. The dark look in Henry’s eyes sent a bolt of fear down Eddie’s spine and he tried to tug himself away. Henry just plastered a smirk on his face and with his free hand, reached up to tug at Eddie’s ears. This time, when Henry spoke, Eddie could make out each and every word.

_What’s the point in having these if you can’t even use them?_

Out of nowhere, a car pulled up and Henry dropped Eddie onto the ground, spitting onto the ground next to him before he opened the passenger door and the car drove into the distance.

Eddie had no idea how long he sat on the grass for, body shaking, but what he did know was that at least twenty people witnessed what Henry had said and done to him, but no-one even bothered to help. Tears were filling in his eyes and Henry’s words were running through his mind.

_What’s the point in having these if I can’t even use them?_

* * *

 

It was after lunch when Eddie finally managed to get up and leave the campus. His mood was ruined, thanks to Henry, and his clothes were all grass stained from when he was thrown to the ground. His original plan was to go home to his apartment first, change and pack his overnight bag to spend the weekend at Richies, but at that moment Eddie just needed to see his boyfriend.

So he walked in the opposite direction towards Richie’s place. Eddie knew he should have at least messaged Richie to let him know there was a change in plans, but his mind was all over the place that he didn’t consider this until he was standing outside Richie’s dorm room door.

_What if he had friends over?_

_What if he was sleeping?_

_What if he wasn’t even home?_

Shaking his head, Eddie raised his hand and knocked on the door, stepping back as he waited for someone to open the door.

Finally the door did open, but it wasn’t Richie that answered, instead it was Stan, Richie’s roommate and his best friend Bill’s boyfriend. In the six months that he’d been dating Richie, Stan had also taken it upon himself to learn sign language and more often than not they would have hilarious conversations together.

Stan blinked as he took in Eddie’s appearance and he raised his hands, signing, “ _Richie’s out at the store, he’ll be back in ten minutes. Come in.”_

Eddie didn’t respond, he couldn’t respond. He just nodded and slowly walked past Stan and made a beeline for Richie’s bedroom, closing the door over once he was safely inside the bedroom. He threw his back into a corner of the room and sat on the bed, the bed he had spent countless nights in, the bed that contained so many wonderful memories.

Bringing his knees up to his chest, Eddie moved his hands to his ears and covered them over, a sob ripping from his chest. Why did he have to be different? Why, in order for him to have friends, did they have to go out and learn a whole new language just so they could say hello? He tugged at his ears, harshly as his tears slipped down his cheeks and onto his pants.

_What’s the point in having these if I can’t even use them?_

Then, out of nowhere, a pair of hands were covering his own and slowly pulling them down and away from his ears. Eddie looked up, his eyes still full of unshed tears, to meet the eyes of his concerned boyfriend. He stared at Richie for a full five seconds before he lunged himself at him, wrapping his limbs around his body and burying his face in his neck.

Immediately, Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie, holding him close and pressing kisses to every patch of skin that his lips could reach. He moved his hand around Eddie’s back so he could rub it up and down his spine in a soothing motion.

Eddie was so in love with this man that it physically hurt.

I love you. The three words that both boys knew they wanted to say, but just...hadn’t. They had written it in the little notebook that Eddie had named **“** _Eds and Chee’s conversations”_ but neither have them had said it, or signed it.

Once Eddie’s sobs had subsided, Richie pulled away and dried his eyes with the pads of his thumbs. He sent Eddie his warmest smile, not pressuring him for answers to why he was so upset, but the questioning in his eyes made it clear how worried he was. Slowly, Eddie pulled away and moved his hands back up to his ears, speaking out loud, “What’s the point in having these if I can’t even use them?”

The look on Richie’s face turned from concerned to devastated so fast it almost gave Eddie whiplash. His eyes were sad and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against his and planting a light kiss to his lips. Pulling away, Eddie watched his chest rise as Richie inhaled and his eyes moved to his lips. “ ** _You, Eddie Kaspbrak are perfect the way you are, and I won’t let anyone try and convince you otherwise.”_**

Eddie brought out the notepad after that, the conversation they were going to have too long and complicated for sign language and lip reading. Eddie wrote down everything that had happened at the university with Henry and how it made him feel. He told Richie how it made him feel that his friends had to learn sign language to talk to him and he told Richie how much he was _desperate_ to hear.

Richie pulled him between his thighs and read the words over his shoulder, pressing light kisses to his neck in the process. All Richie wanted to do was hunt down this Henry guy and beat him to a pulp for making Eddie feel so insignificant, for making him doubt himself and feel so _ugly._

He never wanted Eddie to feel ugly. He was perfect just the way he was, and Richie was determined to prove it to him.

Without warning, Richie switched their positions so Eddie was laying on his back. His eyes met Richie’s in surprise but instead of waiting for Eddie to sign, or speak, he simply kissed him. Richie kissed him breathless, moving his fingers into Eddie’s soft brown locks.

Richie mentally pumped his fist in the air as Eddie let out a very soft moan, the sound like music to his ears. Ever since that first night, Richie had made it his mission to coax those noises from his boyfriends lips at any given opportunity.

They hadn’t gone much further than they had that night, taking it slow. Richie simply didn’t want to make Eddie feel overwhelmed, or pressured into it, even if he did insist he was ready to go all the way. At this, Richie thought back to a memory from a few weeks ago. He wouldn’t really consider it a _fight_ but it was certainly an emotional conversation.

Eddie had written in the notebook, a page that he eventually wanted to rip out, but Richie convinced him otherwise. He wanted to keep all of their conversations, no matter how awful they were.

_Chee? Why haven’t we, you know, done it yet?_

_**What do you mean by ‘done it yet’ Eds?** _

_You know what I mean. Sex, Richie._

_**Oh.** _

_Did I do something wrong? Don’t you want me?_

_**No! Baby that’s not it at all!  
** _ **I just don’t want us to rush into it.  
** **I don’t want you to regret it.**

 _I want to Richie. I’d tell you if I wasn’t.  
_ _Anyway, I’d never regret anything with you._

Richie didn’t reply to the message, he just pulled Eddie close and kissed him, pulling him back onto the bed.

They hadn’t brought it up again, but right now, with Eddie looking up at him with his wide beautiful eyes, he wanted nothing more than to make him as gorgeous as Richie saw him. Moving his lips down his neck, he felt Eddie’s body arch up into his own, his head tilting back to expose his throat more.

Slowly, Richie pulled his head back and, he signs, “ ** _Can I try something?_ ”**

Eddie had never responded so quickly to something, nodding his head, hair flopping over his face and Richie swore under his breath. Eddie was truly stunning, he was the most beautiful person that Richie had ever laid eyes upon.

And he loved him.

He loved him so much.

Taking his time, Richie stripped Eddie down, whilst removing his clothes at the same time. Planting kisses to his cheek and down his jaw to his neck and then further, Richie revelled in Eddie’s moans, soft whimpered escaping his perfect lips. Everything about him was just perfect.

Once they were both naked, Richie tapped on Eddie’s hip and coaxed him to turn around, onto his stomach. With one hand, he laced his fingers with Eddie’s, using his other to tug his hips up so he was on his hands and knees. With Eddie in the position he wanted, Richie moved his lips to the base of his spine, pressing a soft lingering kiss there, before moving them further down his body towards his ass.

The second that Eddie caught on to what was going to happen, he let out a gasp, sending shivers down Richie’s spine. Eddie’s voice was enough to make Richie want to come on the spot, it was _that_ intense.

Richie opened Eddie up with his mouth, the sounds leaving Eddie’s lips only making Richie move faster. He wishes he could say the moment lasted forever though, but that wasn’t the case. The second that Richie brought a finger up to join his tongue, Eddie let out a cry and shook his head, gasping out loud, “Too much, too much.”

Richie was off him in an instant and turning him around so he could see his face. Eddie was clearly embarrassed, face bright red and avoiding Richie’s eyes. A smile made its way onto Richie’s lips as he realised that Eddie was alright, and he tilted his head towards him to make their eyes meet. “ ** _You okay?_ ”**

Eventually, Eddie nodded his head and leaned up to kiss Richie on the lips, pulling back after a moment and raising his hands to sign, “ _I’m so sorry, it was just too much. I agree. We should take it slow.”_

Richie breathed out and pulled Eddie close, holding him in his arms close, as though he was about to disappear. He grinned as he felt Eddie curl up against his chest and as he trailed his fingers up and down Eddie’s spine, he felt Eddie’s fingers mover to caress the skin of his arm.

Richie closed his eyes over and he felt himself drift off with Eddie safe in his arms. Where he was meant to be.

Eddie remained awake, moving his hand up and down the skin of Richie’s arm. Even though Richie told him he was perfect, he couldn’t still help but feel he was being a nuisance.

_They’ll get bored of me eventually._

_Soon they’ll get annoyed with having to sign everything._

_They’ll stop inviting you out, they’ll stop texting you. Richie will stop-_

A pair of lips cut off his thoughts and he turned his head to see Richie wide awake, staring at him. He brought his hands up and signed, “ ** _I can hear you thinking. Stop, please, you’re perfect._ ”**Eddie ducked his head and buried his face into Richie’s shoulder, content to remain there for the rest of the night.

If he could, Richie would have pulled Eddie closer, but their bodies were already pressed so close together, if he hugged him any closer he would have suffocated him. All he wanted was for Eddie to be happy, to feel loved and content with his life.

The only sounds that Richie could hear were the slow shallow breaths coming from Eddie’s parted lips. If he wasn’t still able to feel how tense Eddie was in his arms, he would have been certain he had fallen asleep. Instead of disturbing him, Richie gently moved his fingers up and down Eddie’s spine in a soothing motion. They had been together for five months now, which to Richie, was a long ass time. He was in love with Eddie.

Slowly, he moved his hands back up Eddie’s back and around to his face, cupping his cheek. Eddie peeled his eyes open, meeting Richie’s own immediately. Richie was a complete goner, there was never going to be another person who made him feel the way Eddie made him feel, and he didn’t want there to be. He wanted Eddie, always.

Eddie was staring with wide eyes, and Richie knew he had his attention, so he pulled his hands back to sign:

_**I love you, Eddie** _

The expression that took over Eddie’s face was one he wished he could take a picture of. His eyes blew wider than he had ever seen them before, the hazel brown colour shining back at him. His nose scrunched up and his lips parted in shock. Richie felt his stomach swoop, and in that moment, he fell a little bit _more_ in love with Eddie.

Yet, Eddie hadn’t said anything. He hadn’t moved his hands, nor his lips and for a second, Richie thought that maybe he had signed the wrong thing...or Eddie simply didn’t feel the same way about him. No, no Eddie did. Richie knew Eddie felt _something,_ after all, they wouldn’t have committed themselves this far if they didn’t think it was going somewhere.

Before Richie could say anything, maybe apologise so many times, but then Eddie was leaning forward and pressing his soft lips to his own. Immediately, Richie moved both of his arms around Eddie’s waist, pulling him on top of him and grinning at the gasp that left his lips. Eddie got comfortable, his thighs on either side of Richie’s legs and his fingers in his hair.

When the need for air became too much, they broke the kiss, panting into each other’s mouths. Eddie’s eyes were shining with unshed tears and he leaned forward to nudge at Richie’s nose, mouthing, “I love you too.”

Richie’s hands were in front of them in an instant, Eddie’s eyes following the movements with an unreadable expression on his face;

_**Eddie, my love, will you move in with me?** _

The wide, blinding, smile that Richie received in response was enough of an answer. Yet, as Eddie’s hands moved to sign back, Richie’s heart skipped a beat.

_Yes, of course I will._


	6. part six

When Eddie was younger, after his dad had died, his mother had sat him down and explained to him that he was never going to find someone who would love him as much as she would. That he would never find someone who would care enough to deal with his disability long enough and for a long time, he believed her. That is, until he met Richie.

Now here he was, putting the last piece of furniture into place in their new apartment. It wasn’t big, in reality it was just one big room with a kitchen and a bathroom separate, but it was home. _Their_ ****home. The only thing that felt out of place was the big illuminous green wall that captured everyone’s attention. Eddie knew that it had to go, there were no doubts about that.

Richie clearly had qualms with it also, as everytime he stepped into the place when they were moving, his face would screw up in a wince, causing Eddie to snort. At least it felt like a snort. Richie turned his head, an eyebrow raised which only made Eddie smile more.

_**What colour do we paint it?** _

_Anything but green._

With nothing else said, Eddie laced his fingers with Richie’s and they headed to the store. They passed by all the different shades of green and scanned their eyes over the others, hoping for one to just snag their attention, begging them to pick it to colour their wall with. Richie wanted some exotic colour whilst Eddie wanted something more tame.

In the end, they settled for purple. A very light purple.

Richie dropped the paint cans onto the floor, and the weight of them caused a vibration to run through the floor. He watched as Richie disappeared into a cupboard, pulling out tow paintbrushes and handing one to Eddie. With a frown he accepted it and followed Richie across the room to where he was prying open one of the cans.

He reached forward and tapped Richie on the shoulder, signing, “We’re doing it ourselves?”

Richie broke into a wide grin and nodded, taking Eddie’s brush from him and dipping it into the paint before passing it back to him. He dipped his own paintbrush into the can and walked over to the wall, leaving a big purple stripe that covered up the ugly green. It didn’t take Eddie long to follow suit, a large smile on his face as the slowly but surely painted the large wall purple.

By the time they were done, it was almost evening and both of them were covered head to toe in purple paint.

It was the best thing Eddie had felt in a long time. He dropped the paintbrush into the almost empty can and walked over to Richie, pushing himself up on his tiptoes and pressing their lips together in a soft, but passionate kiss. Richie’s arms came around his waist, large hands covering the expanse of his bag and smearing his clothes with the paint. Their lips moved together in sync, sending shivers all the way down Eddie’s spine and to his toes.

A gasp escaped Eddie’s lips as Richie broke the kiss, lips moving down his jawline to his throat, stopping against his adams apple. Eddie’ gripped onto Richie’s hair just a little bit tighter, getting ready to pull him away to ask what was wrong, when he felt it. The soft vibrations of Richie’s voice against his skin.

_**I love you.** _

Eddie did tug on Richie’s hair then, pulling him back up and into another kiss, this time with intent. His hands moved down to tugg off Richie’s shirt, throwing it into the corner of their apartment and backing him up towards the bed. Then, as Richie slowly brought him to the edge of ecstasy, Eddie only had one thought;

He was really fucking happy.

* * *

 

Eddie laughed from his position on the counter of the kitchen, the vibrations thrumming in his throat as he watched Richie waved a towel back and forth trying to stop what was obviously the fire alarm. Eddie might not have been able to hear it, but he knew exactly what it was.

The smell would have told anyone that.

Richie had insisted that he was going to cook for them that evening, with it being their first night in their own place. Eddie had tried to stop him, tried to tell him that he could cook and it wouldn’t be a problem but Richie wasn’t having it.

If Eddie had known Richie couldn’t cook for shit, he would have put up a better fight. Yet, watching his lanky boyfriend jump around their kitchen, opening doors and windows to let the smoke out was rather amusing. The dinner however, was something to be desired.

Once Richie had finally managed to get in control of the smoke, he turned his attention to the very burnt chicken that sat on the opposite counter. It was black, almost charcoal and completely inedible. There was no salvaging what was left of the dinner that was for sure. With a slight roll of his eyes and a fond smile, Eddie slid over the menu for their favourite take out place.

Richie grimaced, but it soon turned into a smile as he reached for the phone. As he put in their order, Eddie pulled out the notepad and uncapped his pen.

_For your first time...not bad._

Richie read over the words as he hung up and his nose turned up in amusement, taking the pen from Eddie and scribbling his response.

_**Oh yeah sure. Chef’s special, burnt chicken.  Next time I’ll get it right.** _

_Next time? Who said there would be a next time?_

_**Come on, Eds! Practice makes perfect!** _

_You are banned from the kitchen, Mr Tozier. The only thing you are allowed to make in here is cereal._

_**You’re not even going to give me a second chance?** _

_And risk you wasting all of our food? Not a chance._

_**Alright, alright. You can be the head chef of the Kasprak-Tozier household.** _

_Too right I am._

Richie sat the notepad down on the table and tugged Eddie close, allowing his legs to wrap around his waist.

“What about dessert?” Richie signed and Eddie’s face turned a light shade of red. “Trust me with that?”

“Depends what the dessert is,” Eddie signed, eyes glinting as Richie pressed a kiss to the hollow of his throat.

“It’s a surprise.” He mouthed as he looked back up, eyes dark.

Eddie grinned and tossed his head back, allowing Richie to resume his assault on his neck. Good thing Eddie loved Richie’s surprises.

* * *

 

A groan passed Eddie’s lips as he felt the wristband around his left wrist begin to vibrate, signalling that he had an incoming facetime call. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table to see it was barely 7am, and he let out another groan before sitting up and reaching for his phone.

He expected that it might have been Bill, or Stan, informing him of a class change or maybe something even less important. What he didn’t expect was to see his mother’s name pop up on his screen, causing a sense of dread to overtake him. What did his mother want?

Quickly accepting the call, he opened up the text chat that they also used to communicate with and walked over to the couch. Richie was still fast asleep, after having a late shift at the radio station the night before and he really didn’t want to disrupt him with his mother issues.

The second that the call was connected, he knew that this wasn’t just a friendly catch up between mother and son. His mother's face was stoic, unimpressed and Eddie could see her fingers typing away onto the text chat. His stomach swooped with nerves as he eyes it up, waiting for the conversation to begin.

 **SONIA:** Bill tells me you are no longer living with him. When were you going to tell me you had moved out Eddie-Bear? You know you have to tell me these things. I was so worried about you. I thought something had happened.

 **EDDIE:** I’m fine Ma. Yes, I moved out of Bill’s apartment, but it’s fine. I’m fine.

 **SONIA:** How can you be fine if you are living alone? What if the fire alarm goes off and you can’t hear it? What if someone breaks in and you are too vulnerable to defend yourself. I think you should come home Eddie-Bear. You need your mama to take care of you.

 **EDDIE:** I’m not living alone ma. I’m living with someone.

He watched as his mother read over the words, her face twisting up in confusion and then looking back at the camera. She stared at him for a few moments before the typing began once more.

 **SONIA:** You’re living with a girl?  
**EDDIE:** No ma. I live with my boyfriend.

Her eyes shot back up to his, and the look was chilling. It was as though she was staring into his very soul, and if looks could kill, Eddie would be dead.

 **SONIA:** I won’t stand for this Edward. No son of mine is going to be...Eddie bear listen to your mama. Do you know how disappointed your father would be if he were alive?

 **EDDIE:** Don’t bring dad into this. You don’t get to talk about dad.

 **SONIA:** He wanted grandchildren you know, but how could he when your whoring yourself off to every man in New York City.

Eddie hung up on her after that. The screen went black for a few moments before the vibrations of another call started up once more. This time, Eddie simply turned off his phone and tossed it to the other side of the sofa. Tears had gathered in his eyes and he pulled his legs up to his chest, desperately trying to control his emotions.

After staring at the purple wall for what felt like forever, Eddie moved off of the sofa and crawled back into bed, wrapping his arms around Richie’s waist and burying his head into his chest.

He was glad Richie had been asleep for that. If he had heard or seen what his mother had said to him, Eddie knew that Richie would have done something, something that would have caused many more problems. As he closed his eyes, losing himself to sleep, Eddie swore that he wouldn’t tell Richie about this. He couldn’t tell Richie about this.

* * *

**You know everything she said was complete bullshit, right?**

Eddie read over Bill’s words on the page and he sighed into his coffee, nodding his head. Of course he knew that everything his mother said was bullshit, afterall, she had been manipulating him his whole life so why would she have stopped now. Bill picked up the pen again and kept scribbling.

**Don’t let her get to you Eddie. You and Richie, you love each other. You’re meant to be. Don’t let her ruin this for you.**

_She’s not going to ruin it for me Bill. I didn’t tell Richie because I didn’t want him getting involved in my mother drama. It’s exhausting._

**He’s your boyfriend, Eddie. That’s what boyfriends so, they get involved and they help you through it.** **You don’t have to suffer alone.**

Deep down, Eddie knew that Bill was right. That he should share his problems with Richie and not be worried about it causing problems. Yet that was just it, Eddie’s mother was a problem, a huge problem and Eddie was scared that it would be too big of a problem for Richie to handle.

Eddie really didn’t want to lose Richie.

_I don’t want to lose him Bill. I love him._

**You’re not going to lose him Eddie. You just have to tell him the truth.**

The truth was fucking terrifying. That evening, after saying goodbye to Bill, Eddie headed home and sat on the sofa with a pen and a notepad. Richie wasn’t due to be home for another few hours, so Eddie spent that time, writing out everything about his past and childhood that he wanted Richie to know. He bared himself completely out onto the pages of the notebook, and when he was finished, Eddie capped the pen with shaky hands, sitting back on the sofa.

Then he waited.

Richie walked through the door around three minutes past nine, a dopey smile appearing on his lips when he caught Eddie’s eye. It soon turned into a frown as Eddie swallowed, patting the seat of the sofa next to him. Almost immediately, Richie’s hand were moving, signing to him in worry, “Eds? Is everything okay?” As he spoke, he mouthed the words, sitting next to him and taking Eddie’s shaky hands in his own.

Removing one of his hands from Richie’s grasp, Eddie reached for the notepad and passed it to Richie, freeing his other hand so he could sign, “There are some things you don’t know about me, about my past...my present. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us so...please read it? Read it and stay?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Richie’s fingers moved in clarification, his eyes serious. “I mean it.”

Eddie just pointed to the book and watched as Richie flipped open the page, eyes reading over the words that he had written just hours prior. Words about his father, about his childhood, about his mother and his manipulative ways...everything that Eddie had only ever confined in Bill about, was not spread across five pages for Richie to read. Eddie knew the moment he had finished, and held his breath as the notebook was closed over and sat on the coffee table. He hadn’t even realised he had closed his eyes, but the feeling of Richie’s hands on his cheeks caused them to fly open.

Their eyes met, and Eddie felt tears sting the back of his eyes as the look in Richie’s eyes was nothing but pure love. Richie leaned forward, capturing Eddie’s lips in a soft kiss, brushing the tears away with his thumb. When they pulled away, Richie simply smiled and mouthed;

“I love you.”

Eddie broke into a wide smile, mouthing back, “I love you too.”

“You don’t ever have to hide anything from me. Not ever. Promise me, Eds.” Richie was signing now and Eddie nodded his head, gripping Richie’s hand in his own and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

“Promise.”


	7. part seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can only apologise for how long it’s taken me once again. I can now say thought that there is only one more part after this, and then it’s all over! I have had a pleasure writing this fic for you and I am so grateful for everyone who has followed it and liked it this whole time. I love you all! <3
> 
> Just a warning, this chapter is pretty intense, and there are some harsh things mentioned. Homophobia, Sonia K A+ parenting, mentions of death so proceed with caution.

It was the insistent buzzing of Richie’s alarm going off on his watch that woke Eddie from his less than peaceful slumber. He had forgotten to disconnect the previous night, so here he was, wide awake, on the worst day ever. He could feel Richie slip out of the bed, leaving the space next to him to turn cold and when Eddie could no longer feel his presence, he opened his eyes.

It was still dark outside, of course, as it was 5am on a cold October morning. The curtains were open and Eddie could see the raindrops as they battered against the window.

_Great. Perfect weather for the perfect day._

Usually, on this day, Eddie would take the train back to Derry and he would spend a few days with his mother before prying her hands off of him and coming back to New York. This year however, he had decided to stay home, because he was certain that if he stepped a foot inside his childhood home, his mother wouldn’t let him leave.

The bed dipped once more, making Eddie aware that Richie was out of the bathroom. He felt his arms wrap around his waist, tugging him back into a warm embrace. A few weeks prior, Eddie had told Richie about this day, about how much he hated it, and Richie had held him until there were no more tears left for him to cry.

Eddie let himself turn around in Richie’s arms, looking up and meeting his eyes. Instead of speaking, or signing, Richie simply leaned down and pressed a kiss to Eddie’s forehead. Then he reached behind him for a notepad and held it up so Eddie could read the words written there;

_**Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home today?** _

Immediately, Eddie shook his head. It wasn’t that Richie was going to be gone until late that evening. His job at the radio station finished at two, so he would be home by two thirty. Too drained to sign, he reached for a pen and scribbled down his answer;

_No, no go to work. It’s okay. I’m going to sleep some more and then maybe watch a movie. I’ll see you at two thirty._

He watched Richie read over the words and then side the notepad to the side, leaning his head down to press a soft, light kiss to Eddie’s lips. He pulled back just a little, mouthing against his lips, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Eddie mouthed back and pushed Richie backwards, off of the bed. “Go. To. Work.”

Richie smiled, and Eddie could tell he was chuckling at him as he saluted and blew him a kiss before grabbing his back and leaving the room. Eddie waited a few moments, making sure Richie wouldn’t change his mind and come back, before he settled back onto the bed, this time on Richie’s side and fell back asleep.

***

The next time he woke up, daylight was coming through the window. It was still cloudy outside, and the rain was still sliding down the window, making Eddie sigh as he slipped out of the bed and into the bathroom. His initial plan for the day was to sleep, eat and watch Netflix until Richie came home, but he couldn’t even find the energy to do anything other than go back to bed.

It had been a long time since he had felt so drained.

The reason being: Today was the anniversary of his father’s death.

October 8th.

It was a day Eddie remembered all too well. He was seven years old, and he had just finished his dinner. He remembered sitting in front of the TV, a cartoon playing with the subtitles on, when his mother appeared in front of him. Her expression was different than anything Eddie had ever seen before, and she was crying. He remembered the worry he felt building up in his chest, the panic he felt over why his mother was so upset.

Then she wiped away her tears and signed to him in clear sentences that his seven year old self would understand.

_Your father is dead._

Looking back on it now, Eddie knew that her way of breaking the news to him was blunt and selfish of her. He had been a child, so naive and hopeful, so to have such a sentence signed to him in such a harsh way, it made everything come crashing down on him. Sometimes, Eddie thinks that that was why he took the anniversary of his death so hard. Each year he is forced to relive the way his mother had just...spat it out without a thought.

She didn’t even hug him afterwards. Instead, she had got to her feet and left him alone in the living room with the cartoon still playing in the background. Scooby Doo, to be exact.

It wasn’t until he was much older that Eddie had found out what had happened to his dad, and why he hadn’t come home that one October evening. What irked Eddie more, was that it had come from Bill’s mother, Sharon, and not from his own mother.

It was a car accident. As he was driving home, the wheels skidded on some black ice, causing him to lose control of the car. He was killed on impact.

That evening, Eddie had asked his mother about it, asked her why he had to hear the truth from Bill’s mother instead of his own. Her response? He was sent to his room.

He had cried so hard that evening. He couldn’t even find it in himself to care if his mother could hear him. She deserved to be kept awake, after all, it was because of her that he was in that state in the first place. If she had only been honest with him.

Eddie shook his head, breaking his thoughts away from the past and splashed his face with cold water. He couldn’t understand why he still got so upset over things his mother did, he should be used to it by now. How she swore that if he went outside he would be hit by a car, or worse. Yet when they did go outside, it was as though Eddie wasn’t he son. She would keep him at arms length, and when he would sign to her in public, she would tell him to keep his hands by his side.

In fact, whenever they had company over at the house she would barely interact with him.

He looked up, watching his reflection in the mirror as he replayed his mother’s words over again in his mind.

**No-one will be able to understand you.**

**No-one will love you. No-one but me.**

**You’re deaf Eddie-bear, no-one is going to want to be with a deaf person.**

Tears had brimmed in his eyes and Eddie harshly wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt. She was wrong, she had been wrong this entire time. Eddie did have someone who loved him. Eddie had Richie.

Once again, his thoughts were interrupted, this time by his watch. He glanced down to see that it was the doorbell. A few weeks after they had moved in, Richie had installed a doorbell and set it up so that Eddie’s watch would vibrate when someone rung it. It was there just in case Eddie was home alone and someone came to the door. He sighed, it was probably just the postman, as Richie had told him a few days ago that he was expecting a parcel any day now. He quickly ran a hand through his hair, making sure it didn’t just look like he had rolled out of bed, even if he was in his pyjamas. Well, Richie’s pyjamas.

He opened the door with a smile, ready to accept the parcel and sign for it. The second his eyes laid on the person on the other side though, his smile dropped and his hand let go of the handle.

Because the person on the other side of the door wasn’t the postman.

It was his mother.

***

Eddie could safely say that whatever it was his mother was wearing, it did not flatter her in any way. She had gained weight since the last time he’d seen her in person, which would have been this time last year, and he could see some grey hairs sprouting from her roots.

She looked awful.

She also looked furious.

He blinked a few times as his mother rattled off word after word, catching the end of sentences as she was speaking too fast, and wasn’t signing along. He had tried to intervene, to make her listen to him, to ask her to talk slower but she just continued her rant.

She was talking about Richie.

**No son of mine.**

**People are talking.**

**You are a complete disgrace.**

**How am I to show my face in town again?**

**How could you do this to me, Eddie.**

**Your father would be so disappointed.**

“SHUT UP!”

It felt like a scream, the back of his throat hoarse as the words left his lips. How dare she bring up his father on today of all days? How could use use his love for his dad against him in that way? Though somehow, Eddie knew deep down he shouldn’t have been surprised.

She had frozen still, in shock at his outburst, but it didn’t last long. Her eyes narrowed and she took a step towards him, gripping his wrist tightly and making Eddie gasp.

**You’re coming home.**

Panic surged up in Eddie’s chest and he tugged out of his mother’s grip, stumbling back. His knees hit the back of the bed, and he glared at her before signing’

_No I’m not._

Over the course of his twenty two years of life, Eddie had only ever seen his mother really angry twice. Once when he was ten and he tried to cook something in the microwave, and then when he was seventeen and stayed over at Bill’s, forgetting to tell her.

Now though, now she was seething. Her mouth was open, ready to start talking again, but Eddie beat her too it. His fingers moved in rapid motion, and he knew she could understand what he was saying, but he decided to speak along with his hands, just to irk her more. He remembered a time that he had spoken out loud to her, and her response was less than a positive one.

**Eddie don’t speak out loud, you sound horrendous.**

He couldn’t care less what she thought of him now;

“ _My whole life you have treated me like a small, useless, defenceless child. You would tell me I was sick, that my disability was something I should hate about myself. You would tell me that I couldn’t do things because It would make you unhappy. Well I’m done listening to you. I am not your little boy anymore. I am not something that you can bend and twist to your every whim. All these years I thought that you were looking out for me, that you were being a concerned mother. I thought that you were just protective, scared that something would happen to me, but now I know that that isn’t true. Is it Mama?”_

His mother blinked, shaking her head, eyes narrowing into slits;

**Edward do not speak to your mother like that.**

“ _All these years I thought you were keeping me sheltered from the outside world because you were scared I’d get hurt. But that’s not it, is it mama? You kept me sheltered because you were_ ashamed **** _of me. You were ashamed of your deaf son, and you didn’t want anyone asking questions. Instead of just loving me, of being the mother that I deserved to have, the mother I_ should **** _have had, you treated me like a piece of shit. You never treated me like a son, and you never saw me as more than my disability. “_

Eddie stopped talking, his hands stiff from the signing and his chest breathing in and out. In the process, Eddie had moved from his position by the bed around so that his back was facing the door. His cheeks were burning red with anger and he wanted nothing more than for his mother to leave.

He waited for her to speak, to talk to him, to say _something._ It wasn’t until he really looked at her, that he realised she wasn’t watching him anymore, but in fact staring behind him. Quickly, Eddie spun on his heel, his body colliding with another. With Richie’s. He glanced down at his watch, noticing the time being just after two thirty.

How long had his mother been here?

Richie’s posture was stoic, his expression hard as he stared at his mother. Eddie swallowed thickly and reached down, lacing their fingers together, watching as his mothers eyes darted down and then back up. Her mouth was in a thin line, and it looked like she was about to say something, but this time it was Richie who beat her to it.

He signed along with his words, as he always did, and Eddie felt a sudden rush of love and emotion for his boyfriend.

“I want you to leave. Get out of our apartment, I don’t care if you’ve come a long way, neither of us want you here.”

His mother glared at him, and Eddie read her lips as she responded, “You have turned my son into a fag- you have contaminated him with-”

“Leave.”

Eddie felt his voice vibrate, cutting her off. He signed the rest of his words, too exhausted to do anything else;

_I don’t want to hear from you again. I don’t want to see you again. We’re done ma. You don’t have to pretend to love me anymore. You no longer have to be ashamed of me. Consider me no longer your concern._

With that he turned and walked into the bathroom, leaving Richie to send his mother out the door the way she had come barrelling in. It was only a few minutes later that Richie joined him in the bathroom, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind and pulling him close. A kiss was pressed into his hair, and Eddie felt himself relax immediately.

Nothing was said or signed between them, and after a while, Richie guided them back to the bed, where he grabbed the notepad.

**Are you okay?**

Eddie took the pen and the pad, writing down his response;

_No, but I will be. I needed to get that out, I needed to finally make that move and cut her out from my life. She’s the past, but you- you’re my future._

Richie’s eyes welled up with tears and he pushed the notepad away, taking Eddie’s face between his hands and pulling him into a deep, loving kiss. It was a kiss so full of emotion that it brought tears to Eddie’s eyes, spilling down his cheeks. Richie pulled away, concerned as he wiped the tears away with his thumb.

**Eds?**

_It’s nothing, I’m okay. It’s just...I love you. So much._

The smile that lit up Richie’s face made Eddie a little weak at the knees. He leaned back in, kissing him again, this time soft and slow, before he pulled away.

**I love you too.**


	8. part eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! The final chapter to their story! Sorry again for the exceptionally long wait but here you go! I hope you all are still interested on reading the ending to this fic!

**Four years later…**

Eddie opened his eyes to the sun streaming in through the curtains. He glanced at the digital clock on the bedside and yawned as he realised it was time for him to get up. The space next to him was empty, as it normally was at this time in the morning, but it was still warm. He snuggled up just a little bit before he slipped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom.

It was a routine that Eddie had gotten in to over the past year. Once he finally graduated it had taken Eddie longer than most to find a secure job. Then, completely out of the blue, he had been messaged about a managers position at the local library. They were accommodating to every one of Eddie’s needs, and he got to spend all day doing something he loved. Reading.

He pulled on his clothes and grabbed his keys, making sure all the lights were off in the apartment before he locked up, heading the short walk to the library. Since it was a Friday, Eddie didn’t take lunch with him as Richie finished up early, as did he, and they went for lunch together.

It was their routine.

As Eddie entered the library, he waved to the assistant and slipped behind the counter at the front desk. Yes, he might have been the manager but he wanted to be up front, amongst all the people instead of in the back. He settled in, booting up the computer and grabbed the book that he had been analysing. Soon, Eddie was so immersed in his work that he lost track of time. 

Eddie was brought out of his thoughts when he saw a pair of fingers tapping the desk in front of him. His eyes widened and he lifted his head, ready to issue a full apology for lack of attention when he saw who it was. His shoulders relaxed and he let out a breath.

Richie was standing opposite him, a warm smile on his lips. He held up a finger and Eddie watched curiously as his boyfriend reached into his satchel and pulled out a flip pad. He flipped it to the first page, allowing Eddie to read the words that were written in large, cursive writing.

**Hello**

Raising his eyebrow, but playing along, Eddie reached for a blank pad and scribbled his own, familiar words onto the board.  _ Can I help you? _

As Richie read over the words, his eyes lit up as though he had been hoping that that would be Eddie’s response. He flipped over the page and Eddie felt his eyes widen as he realised exactly why Richie looked so proud of himself.

**Sorry, I saw you from across the room and I just had to come and say hi. So…hi.**

Right in front of him were the first words that Richie had ever written to him, that day in the library. He stared at Richie, who’s eyes were begging him to keep it going, so he racked his brains, trying to remember what he said next. 

_ So, out of all the people in this library, why did you come and talk to me? _

**I told you, I saw your cute face from across the room and I just had to talk to you! I was meant to be looking for a book but I abandoned that mission because I wanted to talk to you. Honestly.**

The book. Astronomy 101 if Eddie remembered correctly. Richie had been sent to retrieve it from Stan, who was feeling sick that afternoon but needed the book for his exam. When he thought about it, the memory didn’t feel like it happened years ago, but only days ago. 

_ Astronomy 101? _

The smile that broke out on Richie face was breathtaking and he nodded, putting the flip pad back into his bag and holding out his hand. “Help me?” He mouthed, giving Eddie time to nod with a shake of his head and step out from behind the desk. 

It wasn’t the same library of course, but the Dewey Decimal System worked the exact same in any library so it didn’t take Eddie long to find that all familiar book from their past. He pulled it out and frowned as he noticed that the pages weren’t quite sticking together properly, as though something were stuck. He opened the book at the area and his eyes widened when he saw what was nestled inside.

There, held on by just a little bit of string and taped to the back of the book was a ring. 

Eddie covered his mouth with his free hand and turned around to question Richie, only to find him down on one knee in front of him, holding up the flip pad again with three little words written on the page.

**Marry me, Eds?**

There was no hesitation. No doubt in Eddie’s mind of what his answer would be. Richie was the love of his life, his soulmate, the person he was meant to be with. They complimented each other in every way possible, bringing out the best in one another. Richie was the silver-lining in Eddie’s life, the light that had appeared in Eddie’s worlds of darkness.

His sound.

He nodded his head, fast and sure before crossing the small distance that separated them and falling into Richie’s open arms. Eddie traced his fingers over Richie’s cheekbones, smiling through the unshed tears and he leaned in, bringing their lips together in a soft loving kiss. 

Richie’s arms moved around his waist, holding onto Eddie as tight as he possibly could, deepening the kiss only slightly. They were in a public place after all. When he broke the kiss, Eddie frowned as Richie reached behind him, but broke into another smile as he realised what it was for. The ring, of course.

Unable to contain himself, Eddie held out his hand so Richie could slip the ring onto his finger. Just seeing it there, fitting perfectly made tears spring into Eddie’s eyes once again. Everything was just so overwhelming, and he was so incredibly happy. 

_ ‘I love you’ _ he sighed, resting his forehead against Richie’s breathing him in. 

Richie reached up, combing his fingers through Eddie’s soft curls and he smiled before signing back. “ **I love you too, more than anything.”**

They stayed at the library for a few more minutes before they decided it would be best to head home and celebrate properly. As they walked, fingers linked together, Richie brought up Eddie’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the ring. 

**“I have one more thing for you,”** Richie signed as they stepped into their apartment. “ **Sit on the couch.”**

Eddie obeyed, taking a seat as Richie disappeared down the hall and returned a few moments later with his guitar in hand. A memory sparked in Eddie’s mind and his eyes lit up, biting down on his lip to contain his smile.  _ “You remembered!”  _ He signed. 

“ **I promised, didn’t I?** ”

Richie took a seat on the couch, next to Eddie and set up the instrument. Once it looked like it was ready, he sat back and pulled Eddie between his legs, settling the guitar on Eddie’s lap before handing him a sheet with the song on it. Warmth spread all throughout Eddie as he read over the words. He was familiar with the song and even though he hadn’t really heard it, he thought the lyrics were beautiful.

His hands were placed on the front of the guitar as Richie began strumming the strings. Eddie closed his eyes, feeling the vibrations of the song flow through him before he looked at the lyric sheet. The words staring back at him couldn’t have described his relationship with Richie any better. Their present life, and their future.

_ Wise men say only fools rush in _

_ But I can't help falling in love with you _

_ Shall I stay? _

_ Would it be a sin _

_ If I can't help falling in love with you? _

_ Like a river flows surely to the sea _

_ Darling so it goes _

_ Some things are meant to be _

_ Take my hand, take my whole life too _

_ For I can't help falling in love with you _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> prompted on Tumblr 
> 
> kudus and comments are much appreciated! <3
> 
> come say hi on Tumblr ( @reddies-spaghetti)


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